When Denica Riadini-Flesch started SukkhaCitta in 2016, her primary focus was to provide fair wages to female artisans in villages across Indonesia. They created beautiful clothes entirely by hand, using indigenous and traditional techniques, but still lived in poverty.
The former developmental economist travelled to the villages, learning how the clothes were crafted. “These women were making things with their hands,” she recalls. “It was beautiful but I couldn’t help noticing their struggle. With no access, most of these remarkable artisans are trapped in poverty.”
Through SukkhaCitta, these garments made by the village ibus (Indonesian for older women) now provide a living wage to their makers while preserving heritage and saving the earth. In addition to providing income, the experience has also changed the mindset of the women it was intended to assist. “That’s the power of providing fair work to women. You are not giving aid or helping. You are merely a bridge. They are the ones changing their lives.”
Eight years later, SukkhaCitta has expanded to target other sustainability issues. The current one is synthetic dyes. “Almost everything we wear today is dyed with synthetic dyes,” Riadini-Flesch says.
“Our colourful clothes are the second largest polluter of water. For me, it was important to ensure that the economic opportunities we were creating in the villages didn’t come at the cost of our planet,” she adds.
“So, we searched for a different solution. Retracing our steps, we learned from ancient recipes using plant dyes from the older grandmothers. Today, everything we make is coloured with plants grown regeneratively in agroforests or from agricultural waste.”
The profits from the eco-fashion line fund Rumah SukkhaCitta, a school that teaches a combination of crafting and business skills to the women of the villages.
As an online brand, SukkhaCitta combines its traditional artistry with the efficiency and modernity of e-commerce. For Riadini-Flesch, there is a lot of synergy in working this way. “As a digitally native brand, technology has allowed us to connect our ibus with customers in over 30 countries.”
Riadini-Flesch views SukkhaCitta as a responsible fashion line and eschews using the words sustainable or ethical to describe it.
“Today, everything we buy seems to be marketed as ‘sustainable’ or ‘ethical’. But I feel everything we make creates an impact. [Responsible fashion] is understanding exactly what goes into making something and, most importantly, under what conditions. Only when we have full traceability all the way to the farm can we truly take responsibility for the impact we have,” she says.
This year, Riadini-Flesch was also awarded the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, part of the watchmaker’s Perpetual Planet Initiative. Set up in 1976 by then-CEO André J. Heiniger, the Awards supports individuals whose endeavours help improve lives and protect the planet.
“SukkhaCitta has always been a movement, not just a brand,” she says. “It’s important to me to bring the story to as wide an audience as possible. Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative can help me do that. The award will help us amplify our model by scaling physically across schools and digitising our curriculum so we can reach more women across Indonesia.”
Founded by three women, SukkhaCitta now works with over 400 artisans and smallholder farmers. Riadini-Flesch isn’t stopping there. By 2030, she plans to triple the number of craft schools to reach 10,000 people, or more.
“SukkhaCitta will always be my model for change. A blueprint for solving problems in a different way.”
Producer: Adora Wong
Art director: Ed Harland
Videographer: Alicia Chong
Photographers: Mun Kong & Cher Him
Photographer’s assistant: RJ Teo
Hair & makeup: Aung Apichai using Gucci Beauty & Kevin Murphy
Hair & makeup (Denica Riadini-Flesch): Dorcas using Dior, Nars, Milbon & Tigi Bed Head
